Machine for printing conductors&#39; reports or the like.



No. 768,619. PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904;. W. I. OHMER.

MACHINE FOR PRINTING GONDUGTORS REPORTS OR THE LIKE;

\ APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 190a. no 101121.. v ejsnnnTs-snnn'r 1.

W'iuesses V 'Zjled' 16 1172267 No. 768,619.. BATENTED AUG. so, 1904.

W. I. OHMER.

MACHINE FOR PRINTING GONDUGTORS REPORTS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1903. N0 MODEL.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

W. I. OHMER. MACHINE FOR PRINTING GONDUGTORS REPORTS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1903.

No. 768,619. PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

W. I. OHMER. MACHINE FOR PRINTINGGONDUGTORS REPORTS OR THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 8, 1903.

NO MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

' I Jizven'ZY/r Witnesses Ix WVZZ wd/ZEkmeI;

- fliiorizey N0. 76 8,619.- PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904.

' W. 1. OHMER. MACHINE FOR PRINTING OONDUOTORS REPORTS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1903.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

NO MODEL.

No.'768,6i9. Y-PAITVBNTED AUG; 30, 1904.

W. I. OHMER.

MACHINE FOR PRINTING GONDUGTORS REPORTS 0R THE-LIKE.

APPLIOA'I'IOI FILED APR. 8, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 7 f v 6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

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UNITED STATES Patented August 30, 1904.

PATENT: OFFICE.

W'ILFRED OHMER, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE RECORDING AND COMPUTING MACHINES COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR PRINTING CONDUCTORS REPORTS OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 768,61 9, dated August 30, 1904.

Application filed April 8, 1903.

T rtZZ whom it may concern.- I

Be it known that I, WILFRED I. OHMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Printing Cons ductors Reports or the Like, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to machines for printing conductors reports and other documents,

and has for its object to provide a machine whereby such reports or the like may be readily and rapidly produced in printed form, preferably in duplicate.

To this end the invention consists in certain novel features, which 1 will now proceed todescribe and will then particularlypoint out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention in one form. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view with the upper part of the casing and the mechanism therein removed. Fig. 4 1s a sectional vlew' taken on the line m w of Fig. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line y y of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. .6 is a detail sectional view taken on the with freight traflic, duplicate reports being produced by each operation of the machine, this form 'of the invention being the one chosen in the present instancefor purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings.

' 1n the said drawings the machine is shown as housed in a casing made in two separable parts,

- the same comprising a lower portion 1, which Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view Serial No. 151,595. (11511155513 contains the feeding and impression and ink- 5 ing devices and their operating mechanisms, and an upper portion 2,. which contains the printing-plate and the printing-wheels and their setting and resetting mechanisms. The

projections 8 on the part 2 to hold the parts together. On each side of the machine is located a guide-arm 9, the lower ends of which are secured to a shaft 10, mounted in the part 1 of the casing and having an arm 11, to which is connected one end of a spring 12, the other end of which is connected tothe casing. The upper endjofeach arm 9 is provided with a I slot 13, terminating in a notch or seat 14, and

.the upper part of the casing is provided with projections or screws 15, which travel in said slots. When the hooks 7 are'freed and the front end of the part 2 of the casing is lifted, the spring 12' so acts upon the arms 9 as to cause the projections 15 to engage the notches 1 1 when the top has been raised to its limit 0 and released.or lowered a trifle, thus holding the ,top or cover of the casing in its raised position, from which it may, however, be

readily released.

Mounted in the upper part of the casing is 8 5 I a printing-plate 16, having its impression-face directed downward and bearing printing characters, which will be best understood from an inspection of Fig. 10 and to which more specific reference will be hereinafter pmade. Throughthis plate are-formed three slots or openings 17, extending transversely thereof at suitable intervals, and above each slot, ex-. tending longitudinally thereof, thereis mounted in the part 2 a shaft 19. Each. shaft has loosely mounted thereon a plurality of printing-wheels 20, having printing characters on their peripheries, which when in printing position are flush with the printing-surface of the printing-plate 16. Each ninting-wheel has a pinion 21, with which it moves, and each pinion has meshing with it a gear-segmcnt 22, said gear-segments being mounted side by side on a shaft 23, mounted in the upper part 2 of the casing. There are three of these shafts 23, one for each transverse row of printing-Wheels and parallel with the shaft thereof. Each gear-segment has a handle or operating lever 24, extending outward through a slot 25 in the top of the casing. Each printing-wheel has also a detent 26, pivoted on the shaft 23 and having a tooth 27 to engage the pinion 21 of said printing-wheel, said detent being acted on by a spring 28, abutting against a cross-bar 29 and an arm 30 of the detent 26. Each transverse row of printing-Wheels is provided with a resetting mechanism by which all of the arms which have been moved from their normal or initial position may be simultaneously returned to said position. To this end each shaft 23 is provided externally of the casing with a crank or handle 31, by means of which it may be rocked, while internally of the casing said shaft is provided with arms 32, which carry a resetting-bar 33, which extends across the paths of all of the handles or levers 24. By turning the crank 31 the several levers 2 will be engaged by the bar 33 and the levers and printing-wheels will be reset to normal position. To avoid the necessity of overcoming the combined resistance of all of the detents of each row during this operation, 1 provide means for disengaging said detents during the resetting movement. To this end each shaft 23 is provided near each end with a cam 34, said cams forming in the present instance extensions of the arms 32 in adirection from the shaft 23 opposite to that of said arms. A rock-shaft 35 has arms 36, operated on by said cams 3 1 and preferably provided with antifriction-rollers 37 to engage said cams. Said shaft 35 has other arms 38, carrying a rod 39, extending across the machine adjacent to the arms30 of the detents. A similar provision is made for each of the three sets of rows of printing-wheels. When one of the shafts-23 is operated to reset the parts, the cams 34 rock the shaft 35 and press the rod 39 against the arms 30, thus lifting and dis engagingthe detents,holdingthem disengaged until the resetting operation is completed.

The impression mechanism, located in the lower portion 1 of the casing, is actuated by a crank 40, secured on a shaft 11, which projects through the casing, at one side thereof, to receive the crank 40. The inner end of said shaft is provided with a bevel-gear 42, which meshes with a-similar gear 43 on a vertical shaft 4 1, said gear 4C3 having a crank- :'.i in 15, to which is pivoted at- 16 the forward end of a connecting rod or link 47, the rear end of which is pivotally connected at 43 to the carriage -19. This carriage supports the impression and inking rollers and is composed of side pieces 50 and cross-bars 51. The side pieces 50 fit and slide in ways 52, which extend along the sides of the part 1 of the easing, said ways being verti rally adjustable by means of screws 53 to bring the ways and carriage in proper relation to the printingsurface. The inking-roller (indicated at is mounted in arms 55, hung on the front cross-bar 51, and has its under side inclosed in a housing 56, which also acts as a shield to prevent the paper from coming into contact with the inking-roller. A spring 57 in the form of a cross-bar having its ends mounted in the side pieces 50 and its central part connected at 58 to the central arm serves to hold the inking-roller in contact with the printing-surface. The impression-roller (indicated at 59) is carried by arms 60, projecting from a sleeve 61, loosely mounted on the rear upper cross-bar 51, and the journals 62 of said impression-roller extend through slots 63 in the side plates 50 and into cam-grooves in the ways 52, which cam-grooves serve to hold the im in'ession-roller in operative relation to the printing-surface during the forward motionof the carriage and in inoperative relation thereto during the return movement. To this end said cam-groove has an upper horizontal portion 641, a lower horizontal portion 65, and terminal inclines 66 and 67, uniting said upper and lower portions. In order to prevent the journals 62 from returning along the inclined portions 66 at the beginning of the forward motion of the carriage, one or each of the arms is provided with a spring-messed detent-pin 63, which engages a depression 69 in the adjacent side piece 51 and holds the roller up as its journals pass the upper ends of the inclined portions 66 of the camgroove.

The printing is done upon a paper strip 76, drawn from a roll 71, mounted in a casing or holder 72, detachably connected to the front end of the casing by hooks 73. The strip is carried under the guard or housing 56 of the inking-roller and over the lIIIDIGSSiOH-IOllOI, which latter presses it against the printingsurface during the forward motion of the carriage. The paper is stationary during this movement and is fed forward during the return movement of the carriage by means of feed-rollers 74 and 75, located near the rear end of the machine adjacent to a slot 76 in the casing, through which slot the paper issues. The upper feed-roller T4: is mounted in the lugs 5. The lower feed-roller is preferably covered with rubber or the like and is mounted on a shaft 77, which is positively rotated at intervals to effect the feed. To this end the shaft 77 is provided with a gear '78, which meshes with a gear 79, mounted loosely on a stud-shaft 80. This shaft 66 carries a bevel-gear 81, having a ratchet 32 engaged by a spring-pawl 83 on the gear 79; The bevel-gear 81- meshes with a similar gear 8 1 on the rear end of a longitudinal-shaft 85, provided with a spiral cam-groove 86, .in which travels a projection'87 from the carriage 49. By this construction the feed-rollers are unaffected during the forward motion of the carriage, but'are driven to feed thepaper forward during the return motion thereof. The shaft 77 is projected-through the casing and provided with a'knurled head 88, by means of which the feed-rollers may be turned by hand when desired.

The machine" shown is organized to print each report in duplicate,'and for the purpose I provide a stop mechanism which will permit two successive operations of the printing mechanism and will then prevent its further operation, as well as an alarm or signal mechanism which will indicate the completion. of

the operations. For this purpose the shaft 411 is provided with a gear 89, which meshes with a'gear of double the number of teeth. The gear 90 is provided with a stop projection 91 and is mounted on a counter-shaft 92, extending across the casing and provided near its other end with an arm 93. A rock-shaft 9 1 is mounted in the casing-parallel with the shaft 92, one end of .said rock-shaft projecting beyond the-casing to receive a knurled head 95, by means of which it may be operated. The shaft 91 has secured on it near one end within the casing a stop-arm 96, drawn into the path of the arm 93 by-aspring 97', the motion ofsaid stop-arm being limited by a pin '98, which travels in a slot 99 in said arm. 1 At its other end the rock-shaft 94 is provided with a stop-arm 100, which is held by the spring 97' in the path of the stop projection 91 on the gear 90. Before starting to print it is necessary to rock the shaft 9 1 by means of the head 95, so as to permit the crank 40 to be started, and as soon as this is done the shaft 9 1-will be released, whereupon the stoparms 96 and 100 will return to the position shown; The crank 40 may then be given two full turns, thus printing two complete duplicate reports;-since the shaft 92 makes only one revolution for two of the shaft 41, but upon the completion of the two revolutions of shaft 11 the stop-arms 96 and 100 will be struck by the arm 93 and projection 91, respectively, and the machine will stop,- requiring a positive re lease of the stop mechanism to permit it to beagain operated.

The signal mechanism comprises a gear 101 of the same. size as gear 90 and driven from the'gear89 by an idle pinion 102. 'The gear 101 carries an eccentric-pin 103, inthe path of which lies a projecting arm 104:, secured to a sliding bar 105,'guided along the inner wall of the casing by screws 106, which travel in slots 107 in the'bar, A spring 108 tends to move thebar against the action of the pm 103. "The bar carries a striker 109-, in

the path of which is located abell 110,- so that as the second turn of the crank 10 approaches its closethe pin 103, engaging the arm 104, pushes the bar to the left in Fig. 6' until at or just before the close of the turn' of the crank the pin clears the arm, whereupon the spring 108 will bring the bar 105 sharply back and cause the beli to sound and notify the operator of the completion of the cycle of operations. It will be noted that the arm 10 1 is flattened or otherwise so'shaped at its lower end as to prevent reverse travel of the pin 103, such flattening being shown at 111. This feature, in connection with the stop-motion already described, positively locks themachine at the end of each cycle of operations.

' 1t is sometimes desirable to provide for'the consecutivenumbering of the reports, "both duplicates bearing the same numbeiyan'd in that case Iemploy the mechanism shown in Figs. 7 and'8, in which the bar 105 is provided with a pin 112, which projects through a'slot 113 in the casing. A shaft 114, carrying number-printing wheels 115, is mounted in the wall of the casing, its outer projecting end having an arm 116, slotted at 117, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, to receive the pin 112. A hood'or'shield 118 incloses and protects said arm 116. The part of the shaft 114; within the casing carries the number-printing wheels, whichmay be operated by any suit able operating mechanism-such, for instance, as that shownto print consecutively anumher one higher for each complete movement of the arm 1 16 and bar '105. The nu tuber-printing wheels extend through a slot 119in the prin ting-plate 16, so as to print upon thepaperstrip the desired number, which will be the same for two consecutive printings,-since the wheels are only shiftedafter two revolutions of the crank 40. f

In order that each conductor may print his name upon h is reports, I employ a conductors key or type-l' ar120'(shownin Fig. 9) and hav-' ing thereon the necessary printing' characters. This key may be inserted through a slot 120 in the casi'ngand fits'face downward in a suitable seat in the printing-plate 16, so as to have its characters impressed on the paperstrip'. Referring now again to the printing-plate 16, of which an impression isshown in Fig. 10, it will'be observed that said plate contains thereon'a suitable legend describingthe nature of the reportas, for instance, the Words Cond uctors report of freight trainsand as a subheading the name of the ro'ad-'as, for

instance, Pennsylvania lines'west of P-ittsburg. It also has the word Conductor adjacent to the seat for the 'conductors'key and the abbreviation N o. adjacent to the slot oropening 119 for the consecutive-numberprinting. device. The remainder of the impressionface of the printing-plate is divided into three transverse rows or grou ps of spaces corresponding to the three shafts 19 and three initials of the various railway-lines.

bined.

openings 17 through which the printingwheels 20 extend. The first row of spaces re ceives the impression from the printing-wheels on the shaft nearest the rear end of the machine, and these spaces have suitable headings on the printing-plate, all of which relate to the train. As shown, these relate to the section-number, the train-number, the engine-initials, the engine-number, the kind of train, the point of departure, indicated by the word From, the destination, indicated by the word To, the caboose-number, and the caboose-initials. An inspection of Fig. 2 will show that the top of the case has a corresponding series of scales and the operating-levers are grouped together to correspond with the spaces and scales, each lever being provided with a pointer or index 121 to cooperate with the scale. Strips 122, carrying legends for each group corresponding with the heading of the spaces on the printingplate, serve to indicate the use of each group of levers. As an illustration, the first group contains a single lever operating a single printing-Wheel having numerals to print the section-number. The second group comprises three levers each operating a number-printing wheel to indicate the engine-number. The third group has a single operating-lever operating a printing-wheel having on its face the The next group of levers is three in number, each operating a number-printing wheel to print the number of the engine. The next group is a singlelever operating aprinting-wheel having thereon abbreviations to indicate the kind of train. The next two groups of levers are five in number each, the first and last operating letter-printing Wheels and the intermediate ones number-printing wheels, the stations being indicated by letters and numbers com- The next group is composed of five levers each operating a number-printing wheel to indicate the caboose-number. The last group contains a single lever operating a printing-wheel like that of the third group to give the caboose-initials. Of course the number of levers and the character ofthe printing-Wheels may be varied as occasion may require, as well as the number of groups of levers. The central row of spaces on the printingplate is devoted to the trip-record, and the spaces have headings to indicate the name of the initial stations, the month, the day of the month, and the time of starting, the name of the terminal station, the month and day of the month of arrival, the time of arrival, the division, and the direction. The printingwheels on the central shaft 19 are arranged in groups with suitable characters to enable them to print the proper data in the spaces reserved therefor, and the operating-levers are similarly grouped and provided with corresponding scales and pointers and legends for each group. The row of spaces nearest the front of the machine is reserved for the particular car to which the report relates and has spaces thereon with suitable headings to indicate the kind of car, initials of tank and individual cars, the initials of line-ears, the initials of foreign cars, and the initials of cars belonging to the particular system on which the report is made out. Of course only one of these last four spaces will be filled out. Then there are spaces for the car-number, the load-ma1'k,the station where the car was taken, and the station where the car was left. The printing-wheels and operating-levers of the shaft 19 nearest the front of the machine will be provided with corresponding characters, scales, and legends and will be grouped as required.

It will be noticed that the group of levers near the front of the machine includes those which require most frequent change, being changed for each car, while the other two groups of levers when once set remain in the.

same position for all cars of the train.

In making up his report the conductor will move the several levers of each group to the proper position to print the necessary information, the position being indicated by the scales on the top of the casing. He also inserts his key, so as to print his name on the report. He then turns the crank 4.0 twice, thereby printing a duplicate report for the particular ear to which it refers, having thereon a consecutive number, which is the same on each of the two reports, and the two are fed together out of the machine, at the rear end thereof. They can be torn or eutoil' and separated or not, as required. The levers of the series of groups nearest the front of the machine are then reset by means of the resetting mechanism and are then moved to indicate the necessary data as to the next car, whereupon the locking mechanism is released by turning the head 95, and the printing operation is performed as before by turning the crank .41) twice. These operations are repeated until a duplicate report has been printed for each car of the train. When used on another train or trip, the levers of the central and rear groups must be reset and changed accordingly. It will be. seen that the work can be done with great rapidity and accuracy, that reports can be duplicated to any extent with great facility, and that the reports are much more legible than written reports made under the circumstances usually prevailing. Consecutive numbering of the reports enables them to be readily traced and is a safeguard against carelessness or errors.

Vhile I have described the machine as a machine for printing conductors reports, it is evident that by suitable changes in the printing characters, &c., it may be used for printing other matter-such, for example, as tags for merchandise, indicating size, quality, origin, prices, colors, and other data. 1, therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise details of construction hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings. For instance, by securing the operating-crank 4L0 to the shaft of one of the large gears 90 or 101 only a single turn of the crank will-be necessary to print the duplicate report. Again, the consecutivenumber-printing mechanism may be operated directly from the impression-carriage 49. in which case each car-report will bear a difierent number, or said mechanism may be temporarily thrown out of operation by moving the'arm 116 out of the path of the pin 112, in which case all of the reports printed While the mechanism is thus inoperative as, for instance, all of the reports relating to a given train-will bear the same number.

In referring to the impression on the report of data relative to the train I include therein data relative to the engine, which, as will be seen from the drawings and'description, form a part of and are included in the train data.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A machine for printing conductors re ports, &c., comprising a printing-plate having printing characters thereon and openings therethrough, a plurality of parallel shafts, one for each opening, each shaft having'a row of independent printing-wheels thereon projecting through the opening into printing po- I sition, each printing-wheel being provided with a gear, and 'a corresponding plurality of operating-levers for each row, each lever provided with a gear-segment meshing with. a gear, whereby each printing-wheel may be independently set, the printing characters of each row of printing-wheels relating to the same generic subject-matter, the printingwheels and operating-levers of each row being divided into groups relating to the same spe'- 'ciiic subject-matter, a casing provided with corresponding rows of slots similarly divided into groups, through wh1ch slots the operatlngrlevers pass, sald casinghav1ng1nchcat1ngheadings for the rows and indicating-scales for the slots, in'combination with feeding and impression mechanism for feeding a web to and from, and-impressing it against, the printingsurface formed by the plate and wheels, substantially as described;

2. A machine for printing conductors reports, &c., comprising a printing-plate hav ing printing characters thereon and openings therethrough, a plurality of shafts, one for each opening, each shaft provided with a row of independent printing-wheels thereon projecting through the opening, each printingwheel provided witha gear, a plurality of operating-levers' for each row, each leverpro vided with a gear-segment meshing with a gear, wherebyeach printing-wheel may be independently 'set, and resetting mechanism whereby the levers and wheels of each row may be simultaneously reset to their initial positions, in combination with feeding and impression mechanism whereby a web may be fed to and from, and impressed against, the printing-surface formed by the plate and wheels, substantially as described. I

A machine for printing conductors" re ports, &c.,comprising a printing-plate having printing characters thereon and openings therethrough, a' plurality of shafts, one for each opening, each shaft provided with a row of independent printing-wheels thereonprojecting through the opening, each printingwheel provided with a gear and adetent, a plurality of operating-levers for each row, each lever having a gear-segment meshing with a gear, whereby each printing-wheel may be independently set, and resetting mechanism for simultaneously releasing the detents and returning the levers and wheels of each row to their initial positions, in combination with feeding and impression mechanism whereby a web may be fed to and from. and impressed against, the printing surface formed by the plate and wheels, substantially as described.

4. A machine for printingconducto'rs reports, &c., comprising a separable two-part casing, spring-controlled arms pivoted to the lower member of the casing and having guideslots with terminal seats, and projections on the upper member traveling in said slots and adapted to engage said seats, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for printing conductorsr'eports, &c., a printing-plate having printing characters thereon, and openings therein, printing-wheels in said openings and means for setting the same, a seat in said plate, a removable type baror kev' fitting in said seat and car'ryingindicia identifying the operator, and feeding and impression mechanism for feeding a web to and from, andim'pressing it against the printing-surface formed by the plate, wheels and bar or key, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with aprinting-surface, and a reciprocating carriage having inking and impression devices and provided with a projection, of feed-rollers,a gear having a ratchet connection with one of said'rollers, and a shaft having a gear meshing with'the-firstmen} tioned gear, said shaft beingprovid'e'd witha spiral groove to receive theprojecti'on of the carriage, substantially as described;

In testimony whereof I affiXmy signature-in presence of two witnesses.

.WILFRED I. OHMER.

Witnesses:

- WILLIAM Nuns, W. H. H. E'oKI. 

